Level of RN educational preparation: its impact on collaboration and the relationship between collaboration and professional identity

This study had a dual purpose: to determine (1) whether level of education (diploma/baccalaureate, master's/doctoral) affects nurses' perceptions of their interprofessional collaboration, and (2) whether there is a relationship between collaboration and professional identity. A stratified random sample of nurses completed a mailed survey assessing 4 dimensions of collaboration (mutual safeguarding of concerns, power/control, clarity of patient-care goals, and practice spheres) and professional identity. Higher level of education was found to impact positively on the first 3 dimensions. Weak relationships between identity and collaboration suggest that higher education levels negatively affect collaboration. Based on these findings, settings relying on interprofessional cooperation would do well to include graduate-prepared nurses in their staff mix, and nurses working in such areas might consider graduate preparation in their career plans. The findings reinforce the need for interprofessional education, particularly at the graduate level.